a. Role of Rammohan Roy:

Rammohan Roy as the ‘first modern man’ of India realized that the traditional Indian learning would not be able to instil scientific outlook among the readers.

He was very much opposed to British government’s initiative in establishing Sanskrit College, Madrassas, etc.

In a letter addressed to Lord Amherst he clearly advocated for the introduction of English education in his zeal to promote Western education Rammohan, however, was not forgetful of the importance of the vernacular language.

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To facilitate interaction between the Englishmen and the Indians Rammohan wrote the book entitled ‘Bengalee Grammar in the English Language’. Thus Rammohan worked tirelessly for the introduction of English education in India.

b. Impact of Western Education:

Through the English education Indians came in close contact with the modern ideas.

The Indian people while became conversant with the developments around the world also became at the same time conscious about the glorious achievements of the earlier times.

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English education also helped the educated Indians to draw a comparison between the conditions available in other countries and those found in India.

It was, again, the English education that revealed the ills from which Indian society had been suffering. Also the new education encouraged the middle class intelligentsia to remedy the ills by introducing all out reforms.

It was the English education, again, that paved the way for the growth of nationalism and ultimately paved the way for the Indian national movement.

c. Wood’s Dispatch:

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Sir Charles Wood was the President of the Board of Control from 1854 to 1858. His famous Education Dispatch laid down the Education policy of the government of India.

As per the recommendation of Charles Wood grant-in-aid system was introduced and establishment of universities in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras was sanctioned.

The Dispatch also emphasized the importance of imparting education through the medium of Indian languages and declared that the education imparted in government institutions should be ‘secular’.